Dr Peter White's Blog

About Me

I am retired from the Uni. of Queensland, and have numerous interests inside and outside of the uni. I play classical, bluegrass, country and folk guitar (hows that for a mix?) I am a member of the Australian Labor Party and am currently branch secretary of the Mt Coot-tha branch. I'm also involved in developing virtual reality builds and websites. Never bored!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

It must be the water...

I do believe that there is something in the water in Oz that makes our politicians and their advisory minions go slightly gaga. The latest inanity is the development of yet another attempt to control personal access to the Internet by a nationally mandated filter. Our government obviously believes that we citizens are unable to look after ourselves, and that we have no moral fibre at all, hence "Big brother" has to do it for us.

This has worked so well in the past. Reflect on the incredible success of Prohibition in the United States. Then reflect on the the overwhelming victory of international "War on Drugs". Consider also other attempts by busybody governments of all political persuasions to bar, ban, banish, or bedamn social events or phenomena they don't like. And then there is the Church, banning things right left and centre, or if not banning, then controlling what the faithful should read, see, hear, or do.

Oh goody. More of the same, piled higher and deeper.

The Internet is democracy's strongest tool. Let us not tolerate any sort of interference in its operations. Let us fight tooth and nail to keep the political proboscis out of our business, our internet, and what we choose to watch, or to use.

Like any informed citizen, I deplore the use of any public tool -- such as the Internet and the Web -- to be used for unsavoury purposes. But 99% of humans don't. We suffer from the depradations of the 1% who do. This is the Chicken Little approach to public policy.

I urge all citizens to write to their representatives in Oz and deplore this activity. I will be unscathing in my approach.